Southern Hostility
by Twilights-Pain
Summary: For Jasperinmyroom's oneshot competition. Details inside.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Like I said in the summary, this is for Jasperinmyroom's competition, based in her True North Saga -Best series ever.- It takes place when Maria shows up at Alice's party.**

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I smelled it the moment we returned upstairs. It was, undoubtedly a vampire, but, though the scent was similar, it didn't belong to anyone in my family, or anyone who lived close. Despite that, the scent was eerily familiar, I just couldn't figure out where I'd come across it before.

Whoever it was, they weren't friends with anyone else in the family either. Carlisle's expression was twisted into shock, nearly mirroring Edward's as he cast me a look of disbelief. I quickly gazed around the room, searching for the person who would cause so much stress and hostility, emotions that were assailing me like a tidal wave, in my normally calm family.

Still, no amount of preparation could have kept the hatred and horror from my face.

Maria stood there, her dark eyes surveying the room slowly. Time hadn't changed her, aside from a few more cresent marks about her body, but that was to be expected, all things considered. She was nearly Alice's height, but while Alice resembled a pixie, Maria resembled a gnome, at least in my eyes. There was a smile stretching across her lips, sadistic, but would probably be gorgeous to a normal human. To us, or me at least, it was horrifying and unwanted.

Instantly, I pushed Alice so that she was behind me, an obviously better postion for protecting her. Seconds after I did, I felt Bella's hand on my shoulder, gripping it to hold me back.

"It's okay," she whispered, rubbing there lightly in an attempt to calm me. "She's only here to talk."

As if using Bella's words as an introduction, Maria stepped forward and spoke, her words sending chills down my spine.

"And to meet your human again," Maria took an easy step forward, gliding easily across the room."Our last encounter was fascinating."

As Maria moved, her eyes closed and her nostrils flared. With a slight ache within my stomach, I realized that Maria was being drawn toward Alice, her scent obviously stirring the hunter instincts within my ex-comrade's mind. Beside me, Alice shuddered, making me wonder if she realized the same thing.

From a few feet away, Edward shifted and hissed out the words, "Watch yourself." Maria only growled and stopped in front of me, her eyes opening slightly.

"She is pretty," she began, her eyes now gazing into mine. I found only loathing stirring within them, but whether it was meant for me or Alice, I couldn't be sure.

"But you realize you'll repulse her when she's made a vampire?"

Maria's words brought growls to nearly everyones throats while my brother's and father shifted themselves into protective stances around their mates. As they did, my eyes fell to my arms and the hidden scars etched across them, then danced back to Alice, too quick for her to notice.

"When is that, by the way?" Maria asked, drawing my attention back to her. "Because you might want to explain the situation beforehand. Just so she doesn't get the shock of her life."

Beside me, Alice shifted a little.

"What is she talking about?" She hissed and, after receiving on a shake of the head on my part, continued with, "This is about _me_, you know. Could you at least tell me what the hell she's going on about?"

I stayed still, not bothering with a response this time. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad move, for Alice began to move a little. Dreading that she would move from behind me and put herself in a vulnerable position, I grabbed her and pressed her tightly to my back. Though I worried that I could be suffocating her, I was far too concerned with keeping her safe from Maria.

"Let go!"

As Alice protested, Maria began to laugh, a high pitched sound that reminded me of somewhat of a banshee.

"Well, _chica_, let's just say…our eyesight is much better than yours. And what you think is perfect? It isn't. Oh, not at all. I hope you enjoy the experience."

My gaze fell to my arms, as a slight wave of self-consciousness robbed me of a response. Instead, Carlisle stepped up and took my place.

"I think you should leave now." He told her, his face twisted into a Carlisle-type of anger. Maria however shook her head, her dark curls whipping around her face.

"No, not yet. I too have a present for…well, I can't call her a sister in law, exactly – but…a comrade's future significant other, shall we say. An _ex_ comrade."

With that, Maria reached into her pocket and pulled an object out. Instantly my stomach dropped and anger, horror and revulsion ran through my long-since dry veins. All around me, my family had similar reactions, their emotions syncing with mine. We all knew exactly what the object was and that it would only be seconds until Alice did as well.

Clutched within her claw-like hand, there was a severed hand, human presumably, since the end of it was coated in dried blood.

Behind me, Alice, who had finally snaked her head around to look, went limp, passing out.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: As a request from Jasperinmyroom herself, here is a second Chapter to Southern Hostility:**

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I let out a roar as Alice fell to the ground, a roar that was followed by snarls and growls from every member of my family. Maria seemed to pale even further and looked around frantically, searching for a way out, I assumed. I cold feel her fear radiating throughout the room and some part of me was grimly satisfied with this. Still, Maria showing fear was a surprising sight indeed, all things considered. Maria certainly had been in worse situations than this and gotten out without a scratch on her. Were we, my family and I, really that fearsome, or did Maria realize the mistake she had made by posing a threat to my mate?

The thought rang a dim alarm in my head, but before I could figure out why, Maria ran from the house, finding her escape. For a moment, I stood immobile, watching her small form streak out of the room, her hair crackling from behind her. Once she was out of the door though, my mind regained it's functions and I began to follow her, only to have Carlisle hold me back as Rose and Emmett shot past me. I struggled a little, wanting my own personal revenge on the woman who had once again brought chaos into my life.

Carlisle only looked at me, his eyes unreadable. I could feel his emotions though, but even those were a complex string as mixed as they were. He was apprehensive and nervous about something, but also filled with sorrow. Instantly my eyes flicked to my brother, searching for some sort of clue within his face. He only stood there, a mask taking the place of his face.

"Jasper...." Carlisle began, his eyes drifting to Alice and then back to mine. "I think it's time we talked about something..."

My dead heart seemed to start racing again as Carlisle motioned me into another room. Esme and Edward followed him while Bella remained behind, her eyes locked on Alice. I tore myself away from them despite every fiber in my being telling me to stay by Alice's side. I dreaded the conversation that was looming in my future, but I knew that it was unavoidable.

"Yes?" I asked Carlisle when I managed to make it into the dining room, the place where Carlisle decided to hold his 'meeting.'

"Jasper... perhaps it is time that we left Forks... After all, we're growing older...drawing suspicion..." He began hesitantly, beating around the bush. It wasn't working; I knew exactly what he wanted to say. _Perhaps it's time you stopped endangering the family and the human_. I knew he would never say it like though, even if those words were the ones that needed to be screamed in my face. I knew what he was (Or wasn't) saying was true. I'd been putting Alice and her family in danger for a long time, not to mention my own. If I were to slip up, which honestly seemed very likely now, then my family would be the first people to be blamed. It would take a lot of covering up...

But could I do that to Alice?

I had to weigh the two groups within my mind, Alice on one side and my family on the other. I'd all but promised my life to Alice now and that promise wasn't all that easily taken away. On the other hand, my family had stood by me through every mistake I had made; through every slip up that had occurred in my life. I certainly owed the more than abandoning them.

So whom did I choose? My love or my family?

"How can you ask this of me?" I finally choked out, looking at Carlisle in desperation. "I can't choose between my family and Alice. It's impossible!"

"You know we're not asking that of you..." Esme put in, but they were just words to me. None of them, aside from Bella and Edward perhaps, knew how I was feeling at this moment.

"Son, I'm only putting that out there, for both Alice and your sakes. I know you love Alice and that leaving her here alone seems impossible, but you must consider the possibilities of what could happen."

Carlisle stared at me as if he really thought that I didn't ever consider the consequences of the love that Alice and I shared? How could he _not_ know that that was what I thought about every day when I stared at Alice's vulnerable body?

"I just can't.... leave her alone... " I whispered, walking toward the doorframe and peering out at my angels sleeping form. She looked so small and breakable... so..._human._ There was no possible way that she could survive without me there.

But maybe...

I looked at Carlisle as Edward straightened up, hearing the desicion within my mind. I could leave Alice, yes, and see how she fared. If she was utterly alone and showed that she couldn't survive without me, I would return and see if she would take me back. I was sure that that would entail much begging, but if things went right, everything would go back to being normal. But if she, in time, was able to open up again and find her niche in life without me there, then I would leave.

I glanced at my family as I realized that that was exactly what I was going to do, before resting my eyes back on Alice. I knew the path that I would take, it was the only thing that I could think about as I strode across the room, heading for Alice. I just had to steel myself for cutting the strings that attached the two of us.

From my spot beside Alice, I could hear Edward debriefing Carlisle as I knelt beside Alice, shaking her shoulders slightly and exchanging a look with Bella. It only lasted a second, but I saw understanding in her eyes just as Carlisle reached me, scolding me.

"No, Jasper, don't try and wake her up…her mind is trying to protect her from the shock. Waking her might do untold damage…"

_Right..._ I told myself, clenching my fists. _No more damage by my hands after tonight... Just think of something else.... focus on it.... Think about why Maria was here and why she was so angry..._

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**AN: Hope you enjoyed, and I hope none of you minded the slight expansion on what Carlisle says to Jasper after he tries to wake her. I figured that Jasper would have heard everything that Alice hadn't, but I tried to stick as close as possible.**


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